Pseudobalucopsylla, Mu & Huys, 2021

Mu, Fanghong & Huys, Rony, 2021, A new species of Helmutkunzia Wells & Rao, 1976 from an intertidal sandy beach in Xiamen, China and proposal of Pseudobalucopsylla gen. nov. (Copepoda Harpacticoida, Miraciidae), Zootaxa 5051 (1), pp. 487-505 : 499-500

Genus Pseudobalucopsylla gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C9253A32-7370-4D9D-9986-DF1035D221C0

Type species. Balucopsylla triarticulata Wells & Rao, 1987 = Pseudobalucopsylla triarticulata ( Wells & Rao, 1987) comb. nov. [by original designation].

Other species. Pseudobalucopsylla obscura sp. nov., P. costaricensis sp. nov., P. mielkei sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Miraciidae . Diosaccinae . Body linear. Original segmentation of ♀ genital double-somite marked by dorsolateral chitinized internal ridges. Cephalothorax and pedigerous somites with plain hyaline frill, genital double-somite and abdominal somites 2–3 (in ♀) or abdominal somites 1–3 (in ♂) with finely semi-incised subulate frill. Anal operculum absent; dorsal hyaline frill of penultimate segment forming weak pseudoperculum. Caudal ramus slightly longer than wide; with seven setae; seta I very well developed, almost as long as seta II and displaced to midventral position; seta II long and setiform; seta III short and spiniform (occasionally showing slight sexual dimorphism in size), setae IV– V well developed, with distinct fracture planes; seta VI short and setiform; seta VII arising from biarticulate socle .

Rostrum elongate, narrow and pointed. Antennule ♀ 8-segmented, slender, segment 2 longest, segments 5–7 small, last four segments combined only about one quarter of combined length of proximal four; with aesthetasc on segments 4 and 8. Antennule ♂ haplocer, 9- or 10-segmented. Basis and proximal endopodal segment of antenna unarmed; exopod 3-segmented, exp-1 with pinnate seta, exp-2 very small and unarmed, exp-3 with naked lateral seta and bipinnate spiniform element apically. Mandibular palp biramous; basis with three setae; apical setae of endopod with confluent bases, forming pseudosegment; exopod 2-segmented, exp-1 with pinnate/plumose seta, exp-2 with 3–4 elements. Maxillulary endopod and exopod with three and two setae, respectively; exopod defined or fused at base. Maxilla with three endites on syncoxa; endopod represented by 1–2 segments. Maxilliped subchelate, syncoxa with 2–3 setae; basis with two setae; endopod an elongate segment with minutely pinnate claw and 1–2 accessory setae.

P1 with 3-segmented rami. Exp-1 and -2 without inner seta, exp-3 with two outer spines and two geniculate apical setae. Endopod longer than exopod; enp-1 elongate, with inner subdistal seta; enp-2 with inner seta; enp-3 with one spine, one geniculate seta and one minute seta. Basis ♂ modified; inner margin heavily chitinized and with large unguiform projection; inner spine very stout and curved, displaced medially.

P2–P4 with 3-segmented rami; endopod longer (P2–P3) or shorter (P4) than exopod. Apical spinous projections on P2–P4 enp-3 of moderate size. P2 endopod ♂ not modified. Armature pattern as follows:

P 5 ♀ exopod with five setae; endopodal lobe apical margin with two setae, inner margin with massive, pectinate or smooth, proximal spine and bipinnate, spiniform or setiform, distal element. P 5 ♂ exopod with five setae; baseoendopods medially fused, endopodal lobes weakly developed, each with large biserrate inner spine and small, smooth or minutely bipinnate, outer seta.

Genital field ♀ with paired gonopores each closed off by vestigial P6 bearing three setae, innermost of which very long and naked. P 6 ♂ represented by symmetrical opercula each bearing three naked setae, middle one longest.

Paired egg-sacs.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Greek prefix ψευδής, meaning false, and Balucopsylla , referring to the incorrect original generic placement of its type species.